Casting mold with multi-functional chill

ABSTRACT

A casting mold with a multi-functional chill, a multi-functional chill, and a casting process facilitated by the multi-functional chill are disclosed herein. In addition to affecting the cooling rate of a casting inside the mold, the multi-functional chill may support and/or index the mold during handling and/or conveyance. The present invention allows for conveyance and/or handling of the mold or casting, with or without the mold, and allows for easy indexing and easy interaction with conveying and handling devices during and after heat treatment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/625,363, which was filed on Feb. 2, 2018.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/625,363, which was filed on Feb. 2, 2018, is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to casting molds and chills.

BACKGROUND

Casting is a conventional manufacturing process in which, typically, a liquid material is poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, and the casting and mold are separated by various techniques to complete the process.

As used here, a “chill” may mean an object used to alter the rate of solidification or cooling of at least a portion of a metal casting mold. Examples include internal chills which are pieces of metal that are placed inside the molding cavity or external chills that are placed on the edge of a mold cavity. Chills may be made from many materials, including iron, copper, bronze, graphite, silicon carbide, or other materials.

Generally, chills may be used with a mold during a casting process to provide a variety of benefits, such as to alter the rate of cooling to one or more areas of a casting. More specifically, chills have particular known uses in connection with aluminum casting. Normally, the metal (e.g. aluminum) in the mold cools at a certain rate relative to thickness of the casting. A chill can be used either internal or external to a casting mold to strategically promote or inhibit solidification.

Conventional chills and methods of using conventional chills require that the chill is removed before continued processing. However, removing a conventional chill often causes loss of integrity of the casting or other detriment to the casting. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved chill and for an improved casting process.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Briefly described, the present disclosure relates to a casting mold with a multi-functional chill, and to a multi-functional chill. This disclosure also relates to a casting process facilitated by the multi-functional chill. In addition to affecting the cooling rate of a casting inside the mold, the multi-functional chill may support and/or index the mold during handling and/or conveyance (such as for 3-in-1 or 2-in-1 heat treatment applications). The present invention allows for conveyance and/or handling of the mold or casting, with or without the mold, (e.g. during heat treatment), without the need for additional parts or accessories, and allows for easy indexing and easy interaction with conveying and handling devices during and after processing of the casting.

According to some embodiments, the casting mold with a multi-functional chill comprises a casting mold having an interior cavity and a multi-functional chill, wherein the multi-functional chill comprises a first, inner facing surface which faces an interior cavity of the mold, and a second, outer facing surface which faces the environment outside the mold. The inner facing surface includes casting-matching features, and the outer facing surface includes one or more of indexing features, conveyance features or handling features.

According to some embodiments, the chill comprises a first surface and a second surface. The first surface includes casting-matching features, and the second surface includes one or more of indexing features, conveyance features or handling features.

According to some embodiments, the casting process comprises altering the cooling rate of a portion of a casting by applying a multi-functional chill, and/or using indexing, conveying, and/or handling features of the chill to index, handle and/or convey the casting, with or without the mold, with the casting supported by the chill.

According to some embodiments, the chill at least partially fills and/or spans a mold cavity opening by abutting wall segments of the mold at two or more opposing locations. In some embodiments, multiple chills may be used that together at least partially fill or span one or more mold cavity openings, and each chill may abut one or more wall segments.

In contrast to traditional use of chills in chill-using casting processes, the multi-functional chill need not be removed from the mold during heat treating, but rather may remain as a support component until completion of additional processing such as, for example, hardening, aging, quenching, sand removal, or other processing.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the exemplary embodiments when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a casting mold with a multi-functional chill according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the casting mold with the multi-functional chill of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a casting mold with a multi-functional chill and an additional chill according to a second embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the multi-functional chill according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the multi-functional chill of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below and illustrated in the attached Figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, which, of course, is limited only by the claims below. Other embodiments, and certain modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art, and all such alternate embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a first embodiment of a casting mold 10 having a multi-function chill 20.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the casting mold 10 according to the first embodiment is generally rectangular and includes a top 25, a bottom 30, and sides 35 defining an interior cavity 40. The interior cavity 40 is accessible through an opening 4 in the mold. The opening 45 is defined by wall segments 50 abutting and disposed on opposing sides of the openings 4. According to the depicted embodiment, the chill 20 spans the cavity opening 45, abuts the wall segments 50, and is disposed at least partially within or adjacent the interior cavity 40 of the mold 10.

The mold 10 may have any suitable shape (round, polygonal, organic, etc.) and/or may have one or more openings 45. For example, the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a generally rectangular mold 10 having a single opening 45. However, one or more chills 20 may also be used to cover or span or partially cover or span a portion or all of each of multiple openings 45. For example, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment comprising a mold 10 having two openings 45 a, 45 b and two multi-functional chills 20 a, 20 b, each spanning a respective opening 45 a, 45 b. The chills 20 a, 20 b may each have the same or similar features as the multi-functional chill 20, and may be either similarly or differently shaped relative to one another. It will be understood that molds 10 using any number of chills 20 to fully cover or partially span openings 45 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

According to some embodiments, the wall segments 50 define a mold rim portion 55 that surrounds the cavity opening 45. Some or all of the rim portion 55 may be in contact with the chill 20. In some embodiments, the chill 20 spans the opening 45 and is in contact with the rim portion 55 at two or more opposing locations. In some embodiments, the chill 20 covers and fills the opening 45, whereby the chill 20 fully seals the opening 50 at the interface of the rim portion 55 and the chill 20.

According to some embodiments, the mold 10 is a sand mold. The mold 10 (whether or not a sand mold) may include one or more sand cores or inserts 60 (such as an aluminum block, a sand block, or a block made from another metal or another material). The multi-functional chill 20 can be appropriately configured for use with molds of any configuration or type, including those with complicated shapes, multiple openings 45, or with cores or inserts 60, without departing from the scope of this invention.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, during use, the mold 10 is positioned with the chill 20 oriented at the mold bottom 30 with the wall segments 50 supported on and above the chill 20. The cavity 40 of the mold 10 is filled with a molten or solidifying substance (e.g. aluminum, another metal or alloy, or any other suitable substance) to form a casting. The chill 20 contacts a part of the casting during the process, and increases the cooling rate of the casting at a determined location to help achieve desirable casting properties, such as, for example, by altering the grain structure of the casting.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the multi-functional chill 20 includes a first side 70 and a second side 80. The first side 70 includes casting-matching features 90, and the second side comprises one or more of conveyance features 110, handling features 120, and indexing features 130. By engagement with the multi-functional chill 20, the casting can easily be conveyed or handled by a conveyance or handling device, while, optionally, in an indexed position, even after the mold is removed or degraded (as in the case of a sand mold). Unlike conventional chills, the multi-functional chill 20 supports the casting and provides a conveyance surface and handling surface for the casting, with or without the mold. The indexing features 130 cooperate with a conveyor or handling device to index the casting, with or without the mold, such as by engaging a matching feature or indexing component of a conveyance or handling device. Accordingly, the multi-functional chill 20 can accelerate heat treatment and processing time and improve casting quality by virtue of these features.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first side 70 of the multi-functional chill 20 includes casting-matching features 90 which may be suitably shaped to match an outer surface of a casting within the cavity 40. In practice, the first side 70 of the chill 20 would face the internal cavity of the mold 10 and be in close contact with the casting. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to match the surfaces of the chill and casting to provide close contact for altering the cooling rate of the casting as desired. When used, the first side 70 is abutted by the wall segments 50 of the mold, so that the first side 70 faces the internal cavity 40 and covers or substantially covers and/or seals or substantially seals the opening 45.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the second side 80 of the multi-functional chill 20 functions as a conveying surface and, therefore, is structurally formed and defined to fulfill that function. For example, the multifunctional chill 20 of FIGS. 4 and 5 includes conveying features 110 on, for example, the second side 80, which enable the second side of the chill 20 to act as a conveyance surface. For example, the conveying features 110 may include the second side 80 having recessed segments for engagement with a conveyor. In the shown embodiments, recessed segments 113 comprising notches, gaps, or slots are formed at three conveyor engagement zones 116 along the second side 80 of the multi-functional chill 20 for engaging with a conveyance device, such as, for example, a chain conveyor. According to some embodiments, the chill is sufficiently wide and the recessed portions are sufficiently spaced to allow for the chill to be suitably engaged by a conveyor, such as being engaged by three or more chains of a chain conveyor. However, it will be understood that the conveying features 110 may also be otherwise shaped for suitable engagement by any conveyor type, including but not limited to chain, roller, walking beam, or other types of conveyors. The conveying features 110 therefore may include features suitable for engagement with, for example, a roller surface, walking beam, chain conveyor, or other type of conveyor. Furthermore, there could be a greater or fewer number of handling features 110, recessed portions 113, or engagement zones 116 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

As also shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the multi-functional chill also includes handling features 120 on, for example, the second side 80, which enable the second side of the chill 20 to act as a handling surface. The illustrated embodiments include two sets of two externally-accessible channels or pin-holes 123 respectively formed at two handling device engagement zones 126 along the second side 80 of the multi-functional chill 20. The channels or pin-holes 123 are for engaging with a handling device, such as, for example, a machine arm, gripper, or shaker. As will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, the handling features 120 may also be otherwise shaped for suitable engagement by any type of handling device, or there could be greater or fewer numbers of handling features 120, pin-holes 123, or engagement zones 126, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

The multi-functional chill 20 of some embodiments may also include positioning or indexing features 130 that enable the second side 80 of the multi-functional chill 20 to act as an indexing surface on which the chill 20 and casting, with or without the mold 10, can be disposed in an indexed position during conveyance, handling, or other steps of a casting process. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the indexing features 130 include one or more notches, gaps, or slots (or the like) 133 for engagement with a respective feature of a conveyor or handling device. Such indexing allows many benefits. For example, indexing allows precise positioning of the mold 10 and/or casting and alignment of the mold 10 and/or casting with, for example, air nozzles or blowers during e.g. conveyance, heat treatment, or quenching. Further, the indexing features 130 may be used for indexing the casting (with or without the mold) in multiple unique positions, such as by having multiple non-parallel grooves 133 a, 133 b (FIG. 5) without departing from the scope of this invention.

According to some embodiments, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the chill 20 completely spans and fills the opening 45 and further comprises a chill rim portion 140 that extends beyond the mold wall segments 50 defining the opening 45. The chill rim portion 140 may provide additional width and stability for supporting the mold 10 and/or casting (with or without the mold), and the chill 20 may fully seal the opening 45 at the interface of the rim portion 55 with the rim portion 140 and/or the first side 70 of the multi-functional chill 20. Alternatively, either rim portion 55, 140 could be otherwise configured without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

In embodiments where the mold 10 is a sand mold or includes a sand core, the sand mold or core or portions of the sand mold or core around the casting may disintegrate or break down during heat treatment, but the solidifying casting is nonetheless dependably supported on a conveyance mechanism, is easily handled by a handling device, and may be reliably indexed, all by virtue of the multi-functional chill 20. Further, the indexing features 130 of the multi-functional chill 20 enable fixturing of the mold 10 or casting (with or without the mold) which assists in a final loose sand knockout step by allowing the casting to be aligned with blowers or nozzles for sand removal. Pinholes 123 (or other handling features) in the chill 20 also allow for a shaker to handle the casting, with or without the mold, to shake out sand remaining in a casting from a degraded sand mold, core, or insert.

According to some embodiments, the multi-functional chill 20 is rigid and made from a rigid material such as metal or another suitable material. The rigidity and strength of the chill 20 enables the chill 20 to more reliably support the weight of the casting and engage with casting indexing or orientation devices (e.g. devices that seek to retain the mold and/or castings in a reliable, registered/indexed position and orientation during processing). This aids the indexing features 130 in assuring the mold 10 and openings 45 are properly positioned relative to heat and/or fluid nozzles used during the casting process (e.g. heat treatment, quenching, or other steps).

It will be understood that the shape and configuration of the chills depicted in FIG. 1-5 are only representative examples and that the multi-functional chill 20 of the present disclosure is not limited to a particular shape or to a particular configuration of, for example, casting matching features, conveying features, handling features, or indexing features. Indeed, the chill, the casting-matching features, the conveying features, the handling features, or the indexing features could be otherwise suitably shaped or configured for various casting processes without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

The foregoing description generally illustrates and describes various embodiments of the present invention. It will, however, be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the above-discussed construction of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein, and that it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as being illustrative, and not to be taken in a limiting sense. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure shall be construed to cover various modifications, combinations, additions, alterations, etc., above and to the above-described embodiments, which shall be considered to be within the scope of the present invention. It therefore will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous variations, modifications, and additions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. Accordingly, various features and characteristics of the present invention as discussed herein may be selectively interchanged and applied to other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the invention, and numerous variations, modifications, and additions further can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

We claim:
 1. A casting mold for use in the forming of metal castings, the mold comprising: a mold wall segment at least partially defining and at least partially surrounding a cavity and a cavity opening in the wall segment; a metal chill spanning the opening and abutting the wall segment at two opposing locations, the chill comprising an inner facing surface and outer facing surface, the inner facing surface being exposed to the cavity and the outer facing surface being exposed to the environment outside the mold, the outer facing surface comprising a conveyor engaging segment.
 2. The casting mold according to claim 1, wherein the chill is formed with pin-channels projecting into the chill and accessible from the outer facing surface.
 3. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein the wall segment defines a rim portion encircling the opening, and wherein, the entire rim of the opening engages the inner facing surface of the chill, whereby the chill seals the opening at the interface of the rim portion and the chill inner surface.
 4. The casting mold of claim 3, wherein the cavity is occupied by molten or solidifying metal and the mold is positioned with the chill oriented at the bottom and the wall supported on and above chill interfacing surface
 5. The casting mold of claim 4 in combination with a conveyor, said conveyor engaging the chill at the conveyor engaging portion, the casting mold being supported on the conveyor by the chill.
 6. The casting mold of claim 5, wherein the conveyor is a conveyor selected from the group consisting of a roller hearth conveyor, a walking beam conveyor, and a chain conveyor.
 7. The casting mold of claim 5, wherein the conveyor is a roller hearth conveyor comprising a plurality of spaced apart, parallel rollers and wherein the chill is of a length sufficient to span at least three sequential rolls.
 8. The casting mold of claim 5, wherein the conveyor is a chain conveyor comprising at least two parallel elongated chains and the conveyor engaging portion of the chill comprises chain engaging grooves engaging the chains, the chill being of sufficient length to engage at least two parallel chains of the chain conveyor.
 9. The casting mold of claim 5, wherein the conveyor is a walking beam conveyor and the conveyor engaging portion of the chill comprises features for engaging a walking beam conveyor.
 10. A casting mold for use in forming a metal casting, the mold comprising: A first wall segment formed of a first material and a metal chill integrated with the first wall segment, the chill comprising mold handling features formed therein and further comprising conveyance engaging features formed therein, said handling features and conveyance features being so positioned as to be accessed by and engaged by handling and conveyance devices external to the mold.
 11. A multi-functional chill for use with a casting mold, the chill comprising: a first side and a second side, the first side comprising casting-matching features and the second side comprising one or more of conveyance features, handling features, and indexing features.
 12. The chill of claim 11, wherein the conveyance features comprise one or more recessed segments formed in the second side of the chill.
 13. The chill of claim 11, wherein the handling features comprise one or more pinholes formed in the second side of the chill.
 14. The chill of claim 11, wherein the indexing features comprise one or more notches formed in the second side of the chill. 